3.5 stars rounded up

A fun contemporary romance with fake dating between an astronaut and a party planner, The Kiss Countdown is a promising debut. Amerie is struggling to launch her own business after losing her job, juggling stress about her mom's health, AND the fact that her rent is about to jump up! Then of course she runs into her ex at a coffee shop. The same one where she accidentally spilled coffee on a man's shirt, and he goes along with her pretending he's her boyfriend. As it turns out, Vincent is an actual astronaut and also in need of a fake girlfriend to get his worrying family off his back. But things heat up between the pair in unexpected ways...

I really liked the setup and characters in this. It's fun but has some more serious threads to do with family as well. I didn't love the way all of the conflict between the characters played out, but for a debut this is really quite good and I would read more from this author in the future. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Berkley and PRHAudio for the ARC!

I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this book during my drive to Colorado, and it was a delightful experience. I'm a sucker for a good fake dating trope, especially when it involves the "he falls first" dynamic.

Vincent Rogers, a real astronaut, swoops into Amerie's life with an offer she can't refuse. He suggests she play the role of his doting partner for three months leading up to his big mission. In exchange, she gets a rent-free spot in his house to help her struggling business. But what starts as a simple arrangement gets real complicated real quick when Amerie starts catching feelings for Vincent's irresistible charm. We all know fake dating will lead to more!

This book is a heartwarming tale of love, risk, and seizing opportunities. Etta Easton weaves a captivating story filled with humor, romance, and genuine emotion, making it a delightful read for fans of the genre. I particularly appreciated how the book tackles tough topics such as sickle cell, family loss, and healing, which added depth and resonance to the story.

Tropes:
• Slow Burn
• Fake Dating
• Forced Proximity
• RomCom

My Thoughts:

I love, love, loved this book!
Amerie is an event planner who decides to start her own company after losing her job because her mom was in the hospital. As she's trying to find events to host and plan; she goes to her favorite coffee shop and bumps into a literal astronaut!
Vincent is dealing with his own personal demons and is determined to live life to the fullest. His family misses him though, because of their strong dislike of his job.
When Amerie's ex just so happens to be at her usual coffee shop with his new girlfriend; Amerie pretends that Vincent is her new boyfriend. Vincent's self-confidence is such a irritation to Mimi but he decides to ask her for help. By pretending to be his girlfriend while he visits with his family before he takes off for 6 months to the moon.
This story is such an emotional toll that I would love to experience it again!

The Kiss Countdown is a sweet, fun summer vibe story that captures the breezy mood of the season perfectly.

Amerie Price lost her job, boyfriend, and reputation when her mom got sick, but she regrets nothing. Being at her mother’s side while she was so clearly in need was a priority for her and she is proud of her choice. Now Amerie is getting ready to use her savings to help her parents pay off some of their medical bills, but it won’t be easy. When she went AWOL from the wedding she organized to be with her ailing mother, a public fiasco ensued. No other event planning firm wants to hire her, and that tarnish makes it difficult for her to find clients for her startup. It will take every ounce of her ingenuity to keep herself afloat and pay off her folks’ debts.

Grabbing a coffee at her favorite shop is technically outside of her budget, but in desperate need of a caffeine fix, Amerie stops in at her usual place and, as luck would have it, runs into her ex and his new girlfriend. While they condescendingly cross-question her about her life, Amerie finds herself lying about having found a new love, too. Fortunately, the amazingly hot guy she met at the shop just last week happens to come in and agreeably plays along as Amerie introduces him as her new man.

In the not-so-friendly game of one-upmanship that follows between her ex and her (fake) current squeeze, Amerie learns that Vincent Rogers is an astronaut preparing to go on a mission in three months. Amerie’s dream man has always been an astronaut (what girl in Houston hasn’t had that fantasy?), but just as she is enjoying the moment, convinced she will exit this encounter the winner, his sister Camille approaches them. Thrilled to meet Vincent’s new girl, she insists on getting Amerie to promise they will be at her New Year’s Eve party. Amerie can tell Vince would prefer not to go, but with Camille pouting and her ex and his new girlfriend right there, Amerie tells Camille they will be delighted to attend. And just like that, we are off and running on an only-in-a-romance-novel style love story.

Our newly formed couple attends the party, Vincent hears all about Amerie’s lost job and soon-to-be-lost apartment and offers to let her stay rent-free at his place (yes, after just two or three meetings). In exchange, she will join him for family events, keeping up the illusion that they are a couple. She initially demurs but then realizes the options are the street, not helping her parents, or taking him up on his offer, and of course, chooses the latter. The question of will they or won’t they is a moot point. This is a romance, so of course they will.

The positives to the tale are that Amerie and Vincent make a good couple. They have ample chemistry and fit naturally into each other’s lives, and the author remembers throughout the whole book that she is writing a romance (in today’s market, with all the books that hover between women’s fiction and romance, this is a skill in and of itself), and the focus of the narrative remains firmly on the central relationship.

This is a character-driven story, and the author does a terrific job of showcasing Vincent and Amerie. Amerie’s feisty nature could sometimes make her a bit too demanding (the incident with the guest room being one such instance), but for the most part, she is an amiable, hardworking individual who makes a good counterpart to Vincent. She has strong friends and family connections from the start, so it feels very organic when she easily settles in with Vincent’s significant others. Amerie is the kind of person who would prioritize that because it is of very high value to her. She is also independent and capable; an absolute must given the amount of time Vincent’s job demands of him.

Vincent is a great guy whose success has given him a touch too much solitude. Amerie reminds him of the value of human connection and serves as a bridge in the strained relationship between him, his mom, and his sisters.

The secondary characters are really well done. They stay in the background and serve as a foil for our couple, but the author does a great job of making them three-dimensional. I especially liked that the two groups - Vincent’s and Amerie’s family and friends - don’t just immediately form one big super group. Amerie still hangs out with bestie Gina on her own. She meets her parents on her own often, too. Amerie does get along very well with Vince’s family, but she doesn’t ditch her former friends for those new alliances.

There is some angst here - Amerie’s mom’s sickle cell anemia, Amerie’s lost job, subsequent career struggles, and Vincent’s difficult family relationships - but the book never loses its positive vibe. I felt that was appropriate given the story emphasizes finding joy in the moment.

The book does have some flaws in terms of capturing their careers. Vincent worked in Search and Rescue prior to being an astronaut, but when coming down a mountain carrying Amerie, who had a sprained ankle, he cradles her in his arms rather than using a fireman’s hold while traversing uneven terrain. Amerie speaks of having a team at her former position, but how that functioned and why it failed to do so in such a spectacular manner at the event over which she lost her job is never fully explained.

Minor quibbles like that aside, The Kiss Countdown is a good read for those looking for something light and easy. It’s perfect for whiling away a lazy afternoon.

4.5 Stars

I really have been craving a good astronaut romance and this one absolutely delivered! We have a mutually beneficial fake dating trope that turns into real feelings and past trauma as the conflict. Pretty sure Vince is my new book boyfriend and honestly I just want more of his and Amerie’s love story because I couldn’t get enough of how well these two work together. I highly recommend and the audio was fantastic. This would make an excellent read for @SpaceToRead’s #GreatSpaceRead!

I love when fake dating starts because you want to show your ex that you’re fine, even if you’re fine alone but they’d only believe it if you moved on. This book made me want to be an astronaut all over again. I do wish the third act breakup had been a little smoother, but overall I enjoyed this one and am excited to see what comes from Etta next.

If you love the fake dating trope, you’ll love this starry debut novel that follows Amerie, an event planner, and Vincent, an astronaut soon embarking on a mission to the moon. In a classic coffee shop-meet-cute, Amerie spills her drink on Vincent. He’s cute, but dating anyone is off the table since she’s fresh off a breakup and starting a new business. That is until she bumps into her ex and his new girlfriend (at this same coffee shop on another day!) and introduces Vincent as her boyfriend. He plays along because, it turns out, he’s in the market for a fake girlfriend, too. And things take off from there. It’s a bit of a slow burn but super cute, and I devoured it in one sitting.

Thank you so much to Berkley Pub for sending me a copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this one!!!! This was the exact quick, easy breezy romance I needed after finishing up another book. I am a sucker for fake dating and even though this was a slow burn I was okay letting it simmer. I thought the couple's chemistry felt natural and it progressed in a timely fashion. I also loved their meet cute in the beginning. I love the interaction with his family and how his mother just knew that she was the one for him.

Even with all the cute romance and relationship stuff, each family was dealing with their own thing - Amerie's mother has a chronic illness and Vincent's family still grieving the loss of his brother.

I thought this was a great debut and I am looking forward to more from the author in the future!

4.5

What a strong debut!! And as a girly who loves space, the nasa aspect was wonderful. Fake dating? Count me in! Loved this book so much!

much to my dismay, i didn't enjoy the kiss countdown. i'm rather disappointed with this book. the prose was incredibly promising and originally drew me to pick this book when i applied for the arc. it was fascinating from the get-go. i'd never read a book revolving around an astronaut, i was extremely interested to see how it would play out in this novel. and, unfortunately, for me, it fell flat.

although i enjoy etta easton's writing style, it took me quite a long time to get into the book. i liked reading about amerie, vincent, and their relationship but i didn't find myself getting attached to them. their personalities (and their relationship) felt surface-level at times. there are moments of depth added to their characters but i would have loved to see it expanded upon. i found myself not fully understanding who these characters are (vincent especially). this book would have benefitted immensely from a dual pov format, mostly because, even after reading the book, vincent is still somewhat of an anomaly to me.

the main grievance i had with the kiss countdown was the final act. i already felt like the book was dragging a little bit so when amerie drew it out even further i wasn't having a good time. the entire conflict could have been easily avoided and it pains me when contemporary romance novels feel the need to include an easily solvable problem. i, as a reader, don't enjoy the story archetype, i find it ruins my reading experience.

on the positive side, there were quite a few aspects of the book i enjoyed. amerie's struggle with opening up to her parents and ultimately being vulnerable with them was very accurately portrayed (coming from somebody who thinks similarly to amerie). her constant worry of "being a burden" was scarily relatable. similarly, i understood and resonated with vincent's responsibilities as an older brother. in a lighter regard, i also loved the pop culture (mostly the music) references throughout the book. the tropes were fun as well!

even though i didn't enjoy this book completely, it did introduce me to a new debut author! i do intend to pick up more etta easton books as she releases more in the future because i believe her books can only get better from here! and as always, i owe a big thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for providing me with an arc.

This was such a charming debut novel! Fake dating and forced proximity are two of my favorite tropes, so it’s no surprise that I had a ball reading The Kiss Countdown.

Following a bit of a disastrous “meet cute,” Amerie and Vincent find themselves in a mutually beneficial arrangement - Amerie needs to save some money to help her sick mother & Vincent needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back. Amerie can save on rent by living in Vincent’s guest room and they can get to know one another better before Vincent’s family gathering. What could possibly go wrong? Oh yeah, they catch feelings for real.

Vincent was such a sweet little cinnamon roll of a MMC. I loved how caring and attentive he was to Amerie, and how he really put work into their relationship, even during their fake dates. He looked at her Pinterest board for inspiration! While we got to see Amerie at work with her event planning, I really wish we got to see more of Vincent’s career on the page, especially since it adds to some of the conflict with his family. Amerie wasn’t my favorite FMC, but seeing her relationship with her parents did make me like her a bit more. I’m glad the author shared that side of her with us.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. I will definitely pick up this author’s next novel!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

This was a DELIGHTFUL read! Full of the love and warmth of family while not shying away from the complicated emotions of loving other people when their needs don't align with what you want. If you're a romance fan, I HIGHLY recommend this one!

For sensitive readers, there are references to ableism and childhood poverty, explicit sex scenes, grief, and death of loved ones.

** Thank you to Netgalley for sending me the e-ARC & this is my honest book review**

Okay, adding the MMC Vincent to my growing book boyfriends/husbands list. When I really enjoy reading a book, I try to stretch my reading out for awhile because this book was so good and cute. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes in romance. I did feel for both of the main characters -- Vincent and Amerie -- of what they were going through in their personal lives. I just love how this was written, liked their characters, especially Amerie's friend Gina (LOL). If you enjoy or love romance with the fake dating trope, then you'll love this! 5/5 stars

What to Expect:
🚀fake dating
🚀cinnamon roll hero
🚀opposites attract
🚀plant dad
🚀bestie goals
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🫶🏽What I enjoyed
This was a cute rom com with a fantastic Barbie/Ken reference, but my ultimate favorite part was the FMC’s relationship with her BFF. I absolutely loved the way they built each other up with their Queen Goals! Gia is the type of bestie we all need.
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🤷🏻‍♀️What didn’t work for me
There wasn’t anything specific necessarily, but it’s also the type of story that blends with other rom coms and I’ll probably forget details of in a few months.

A super cute romance for all my fellow girlies who had dreams of loving an astronaut - I'm not the only one, right?? Right??

Vincent and Amerie have a meet-cute (kind of? She spills his coffee all over him) at her favorite coffee shop and find themselves in a fake dating situation. Mimi is trying to get her life together and Vincent has his sights on the stars, but a family who want him to find his happily ever after ASAP. The two move in together to further their ruse, but begin to fall for one another as they support each other through life's ups and downs.

There were moments when I wanted to throttle Mimi, but I also found her to be incredibly relatable. I appreciated Easton's inclusion of having a character navigate Sickle Cell disease, alongside how it impacts family members.

What was most frustrating to me was the convoluted third-act conflict. Entirely avoidable and felt outside of what I would expect from both characters... WHY CANT ADULTS JUST TALK.

The Kiss Countdown

An adorable fake dating debut romance! An event planner and an astronaut walk into a coffee shop...

Seriously though - what starts with a precious coffee shop meet cute (times two) rockets into undeniable chemistry, pining and adorkable fake dating - with an astronaunt, how can you not?!

I loved this one and highly recommend!

I WANT MORE 😩 stop it this book was SO cute. It’s definitely more of a fluffy sweet contemporary romance, with little to no smut but dang Vincent was SO SWOONY😭Like i have never found an Astronaut so attractive in my LIFE. i also thought space being a theme in this book was SO COOL!! the universe is so cool, and if was nice to be reminded of that. In addition to that, the Black excellence🫶🏼 I loved the representation and the reminder that Black people fill all spaces! This was such a great debut, I found the characters to be, surprisingly, relatable when it came to their family and why they did what they did. 10/10 book for me! And again, I just wanted more of THEM😭

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this romance. It was a delicious slow burn, and I loved the astronaut angle. I do wish it had been dual POV since I like to know what both parties are thinking throughout the story, but that is a preference thing.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Etta Easton for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Amerie Price is desperate to find a lucky star...but all she's been seeing lately are LOTS of clouds. After a breakup that left her crushed AND losing her job, she is scrambling to put together enough money to pay her rent. She feels terrified at the prospect of having to gamble on herself by jumping headfirst into her very own business venture as an event planner...but simultaneously hopes she has the goods to make it all happen. In this vulnerable state, she grabs a coffee at her favorite local Java Joint and bumps into NONE other than the ex she's been eager to forget..and he has his shiny NEW girlfriend in tow.

Looking for the upper hand, Amerie takes a chance encounter with a VERY sexy, Tall, Dark, and Handsome stranger (one that resulted in coffee being spilled all over her), grabs the handsome hottie, and presents him as her boyfriend. The man in question, she will later learn, is Vincent Rogers, and he's got the kind of job that sounds as unlikely as "CIA operative" or "bodyguard to the stars": Vincent is a certified, bonafide ASTRONAUT. Despite his glamorous job, Vincent's been dealing with struggles of his own...namely, a family that is DESPERATE to see him paired up with a nice girl with marriage on the horizon. Vincent decides to play along with Amerie's scheme...by hatching one of his own: Amerie's that one special girl, and he has her move into his pad to help her save some cash AND further the idea that these two are in a long-term, committed relationship.

But when family health struggles come up on Amerie's side, and Vincent's family grows increasingly worried that his next mission could be catastrophic...Vincent and Amerie begin to bond in a REAL way...and on a level that neither expected. With so much at stake, can Vincent fulfill ALL of his dreams? Will this next journey into space be his last? And will Amerie have the courage to ask him to stay with her...or is she in line for ANOTHER devastating heartbreak with the 'one who got (lightyears!) away'?

This is a debut novel, and since I had no point of reference coming into this story, I figured it would go one of two ways: VERY cheesy fake dating or adorable, charming fake dating with two MCs you just couldn't help but root for from beginning to end.

....And I am thrilled to say there was NO moon cheese here, folks!

Amerie (or Mimi, as Vincent affectionately calls her) was such a fun MC to read. She's a bit bruised, a bit naive, and at time neurotic, but she also has a big heart and has so much love to give. I loved that she was so passionate about her business and despite her missteps, was able to pick back up and work towards her goals. I'm also glad that I liked Mimi as much as I did because this is a single POV story, so if she had been less likable, getting through this one would have felt like more of a slog, and instead it was all systems go! Vincent was also a terrific lead, with a sensible head on his shoulders, enough compassion and affection to be a solid match for Mimi, but with enough hardheadedness at times to give the book some depth. I liked that as much as you FELT there should be a HEA ending, things were up in the air (or up in space, if you prefer!) until the end!

Fake dating is also one of those tropes that can either be very fun or feel VERY convoluted and odd...and in this case, despite the happenstance circumstances of their meet-cute...I bought it. This is the kind of romance that I really NEED to read once in a while: fluffy, fun, with SOME emotional depth, but moreseo just light and airy. I never felt overly stressed at any time reading this one in terms of will-they-won't-they become an actual couple, or about most of the plot in general...and sometimes it's a relief to just be able to kick back and GO with it. That being said, the plot itself is a little thin in places, and lacking some of the depth you find in other romances CAN be a drawback, so if you are in the mood for more of a romantic rollercoaster ride, you probably will want to keep walking around the amusement park (so to speak!)

And to find out by story's end whether these two can stand to have any space (or any OUTER SPACE) between them?

You'd 'blast' be 'off' to find out!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

This was such a cute, slow burn, fake dating roommate romance between an Astronaut and an aspiring event planner that put a giant smile on my face!

When a meet cute in a coffee shop has recently single and jobless Amerie in need of a place to stay, she enlists the hot fellow customer to pretend to be her boyfriend when she runs into her ex. As it turns out, Vincent could use Amerie's help pretending to be his girlfriend in front of his family and so a mutually beneficial, and seemingly "platonic" arrangement is born.

With lots of family drama and great chemistry between the two leads, I was rooting for them to get their HEA from the very start. A solid debut that was great on audio narrated by Angel Pean. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I'm excited to read what this new author comes up with next!!

Steam level: a couple of open door scenes